Milk-can.



No. 638.334. Patented Berg. 5, I899.

C. HDBERT.

MILK CAN. (Application filed May 16, 1899. (No Model.)

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CLAYTON HOBERT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MILK-CAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,334, dated December 5, 1899. Application filed May 16, 1899. Eerial No. 716,978. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAYTON HOBERT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Milk-Cans, of which the followingis a specification.

My inventionrelates to cans such as are commonly used for shipping milk, 650.; and it consists in an improved connection between the lid and the can, whereby the former is so attached that it cannot be unintentionally separated from the can, yet can be conveniently removed from the mouth of the latter to permit handling of the contents or used as a handle whereby to move or carry the can.

The invention is fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an elevation showing my invention applied to a milk-can, the lid being represented in closed position. Fig. 2 isa similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 1 and representing the lid as raised and thrown to one side of the mouth of the can. Fig. 3 shows a modified construction.

A represents the body of an ordinary milkcan having a reduced unthreaded neck a,with an exterior collar or band of around the mouth or opening.

0 represents the lid, which has a cylin-' drical unthreaded portion 0 fitting within and freely removable from the neck a, as usual, and provided with a handle 0.

In the preferred construction (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) I employ a band B, preferably of sheet metal, which is sprung upon the neck a and loosely locked thereon, so as to be capable of either turning freely or moving lengthwise of the can between the collar a and the enlarged body of the can. The lid is provided, as shown, with snap-hooks D D, to which are attached light chains or flexible connections E E, the opposite ends of which are attached at opposite points I) b to the band B, which forms, as described, a movable part of the can, to which latter the lid is thus firmly connected, so as to prevent its unintentional detachment, while at the same time permitting it to be raised as far as the slack of the chains E E and the longitudinal movement of the part B, as shown, will allow.

A principal aim of this invention is to provide adevice for application to conventional milk -cans now on the market and in use which will be of the simplest and cheapest constructiomhaving nosprings or other means which are expensive, liable to get out of order, and will retard the raising of the lid. In order that this aim may be accomplished and also to the end that the lid may be raised sufficiently to leave the mouth of the can wide open and be supported in nearly-vertical position, in the way hereinafter described, when raised, it is necessary that chains, cords, or other highly-flexible means be employed and that each of said chains or cords have a length greater than the shortest distance from the upper surface of the lid to the device which connects it with the can. Thus when the lid is closed there will be a slack in the chains or cords. In order that the lengths of chains or cords may not be such as to produce an objectionable amount of such slack and at the same time to prevent interference with the raising of the lid to the extent above set forth and with the supporting of the lid in the manner hereinafter set forth, the device on the can to which the cords are attached has the vertical movement above specified and is capable of falling by gravity to its lower position when the lifting force .is removed from it, whereby it will rise when the lid is raised and permit the tautchain to approach a right angle to the nearly-vertical lid and will fall and take up most of the slack in the cords or chains when the lid is closed. The movement of the lid which is thus provided for and the position which it assumes when thrown away from the mouth of the can are clearly indicated in Fig. 2. This po= sition leaves the mouth of the can Wide open and at the same time enables the operator to use the handle 0 as a very convenient means of holding the top of the can in emptying the contents, the bead c of the lid fulcruming against the top a of the can. The can may also be moved or carried by means of this handle, as stated. In the preferred construction shown the lid can also be turned to any position desired, the band B turning with it.

Also, the lid and its connections can be supplied separately and readily applied to old cans without any change whatever to the latter. If desired, the lid may be attached or detached independently of the band by means of the snap-hook connection.

In Fig. 3 I have indicated a modified construction in which movable parts B in slideways fL Ct ,-fiX6d to the can, are shown instead of the movable band B. This and other modifications within the spirit of my invention are intended to'be included therein.

The essential feature of this invention resides in the means which connect the lower ends of the chains or cords permanently with the neck of the can, and which means are mounted to have a limited vertical (or, preferably, both vertical and. rotative) movement on said neck without becoming detached therefrom. This movement of said means is of the utmost importance and is productive of the following ad vantages,namely: The vertical movement enables the lid to be firmly supported in proper raised position (nearly vertical as shown) without an objectionable amount of slack chain, said chain-connecting means falling and taking up most of the slack when the lid is closed and rising when the lid israised so that the taut chain approaches a right angle to the raised lid, and the rotative movement of the band around the can-neck allows the lid to be turned on the can (the band turning with it) so as to be turned back at the most convenient place, which is important where a number of cans are closely piled together, as is customary. These advantages are peculiar to this device, and the means by which they are obtained constitute the essence of this invention.

can-neck to which the lower ends of said chains or cords are attached, said device being movable vertically relatively to said neck, with the lid, and falling by gravity to its lowermost position when the lid is closed, whereby the taut chain or cord is enabled to approach a right angle with the raised lid, when the latter is supported in nearly-vertical position on the mouth of the can, without requiring an objectionable amount of slack chain, as shown.

2. The combination with a milk-can having a reduced and unthreaded neck and a band or bead around its mouth, anda lid therefor having a depending unthreaded flange which enters said neck and is freely removable therefrom, said lid also having a handle projecting from its upper surface and a bead which fulcrums against the top of the can when the lid is raised, a band permanently fitted to said neck and loosely encircling the same so as to have vertical and rotative movements thereon, and chains or cords connecting opposite sides of the lid withsaid band, said chains or cords having lengths greater than the shortest distance from the edge of the upper end of the lid to the band, substantially as described and for the various purposes set forth.

3. The combination'with a milk-can having a reduced neck, and a lid having a flange to enter said neck and provided with snap-hooks projecting from diametrically opposite sides thereof, of a inovable device on said neck, and chains or cords removably engaged with said snap-hooks at their upper'ends and perm anently secured to said device at their lower ends, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

Signed by me at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 5th day of May, 1899.

CLAYTON HOBERT. lVitnesses:

EDWARD F. TINDALL, HERBERT H. Ross. 

